Being Right with an Unkind Spirit
Written for Bible Journey Plan. Our editorial standards.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 KJV
It is possible to have the correct answer and handle another person badly. You may win the disagreement while leaving everyone less willing to listen the next time. Paul places love above the pride that can attach itself to ability and knowledge.
Charity is patient and kind. It is not self-important or eager to make its own way the center. That does not weaken truth. It changes the spirit in which truth is spoken.
Before correcting someone, understand the point they were actually making. Avoid turning a small mistake into a public embarrassment. A private explanation may serve better than a reply written for an audience. You can speak firmly when the matter requires it and still honor the person you are addressing. The goal is to help truth be understood and obeyed. Enjoying your own superiority is a poor substitute for that work.
Put the passage into practice
Affection is easier when a relationship gives you what you want. Paul's description tests love where patience, humility, and self-control are needed. Notice the desire to keep score, demand attention, or use a person's mistake against them. Bring that response under the Lord's instruction. Loving conduct can include honest correction and wise boundaries. It should not include deliberate humiliation or selfish control. The passage gives a practical standard for relationships that claim to be built on care.
Keep the passage in context
Paul describes charity in a church troubled by pride and rivalry over spiritual gifts. The description applies to marriage, but its original concern includes the whole fellowship of believers.
Read further: 1 Corinthians 13 in the King James Bible.